Universal joint.



C. W. SPICER. UNIVERSAL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED sBPT.1o.19o7.

919,651 Patented Apr.27, 1909.

LA \W7W E s l i5 llsllll Inventor MMJL? *W A lys CLARENCE W. SPICER, OFPLAINFIELD, rNEW JERSEY.v

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent. j'

Patented April 27, 1909.

Application filed September 10, 1907. Serial No. 392,170.

l5 of New Jersey, have invented certain new.

and useful Improvements in Universal j Joints; and I do hereby. declarethe following to be. a full, clear, and exact description of the same,such as will enable others skilled-in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to universal joints, and embodies certainimprovements upon A'the joint structure illustrated and described by thedesignation T-head in slot, and

comprise driving and driven members, and an intermediate member, whichlatter is pivoted to one of said driving and driven members and ismounted to slide back and I forth lon itudinally in guides of the othersaid mem er and also to oscillate in a planey at right angles to planeof movement about its said pivotal connection. Such joints are commonlused in the driving mechanism of motor vehicles, and are also adaptedfor use in boats and in machinery generally Whereever a universal jointis required.

M invention consists in the novel structura features hereinafterdescribed.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of suchjoints, to prevent side-play of the driving and driven membersandintermediate member relative to each other in an improved manner, toincrease vthe power-transmittin capacity of such joints without materiaincrease of (limerisions, and to make the joint simple, compact,durable, and easy to incase.

I will noW proceed to describe my invention with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which joints embodying my A. said inventionare illustrated, and will then int out the novel features in claims.

In'- the said drawings: Figure 1 shows a side elevation and partialcentral longitudinal section of one'form of my said joint. Fig. 2 showsa vertical transverse section thereof 'through the pivotal axis on theline 2 .-2 of Fig. -1. Fig. 3 shows a detail perspective elevation ofthe ball member and t 'e socket-bushing thereon) a portion of said in myprior application iled Sept. 12, 1906,

bushing being shown broken away. Fig. 4' 7 shows an end view of thejoint, looking from j the left ofyFig. 1; and Fig. 5 shows a centrallongitudinal section of the joint, the section being taken on a plane atright angles to the plane of section of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 shows a centrallongitudinal section of an alternative form of joint, wherein no bushingbetween the ball-member and the jaw-member of the joint is used; andFig. 7 shows a transverse section of such alternative form of jointthrough the pivotal axis.

In lthe said drawings, 1 and 2 designate the main joint members, ofwhich either may be the driving member and the other the driven member.1' is a jaw member, having a transverse slot the surfaces of which formguides for the intermediate member. Such slot comprises a centralportion of cylindrical cross-sectional curvature, 3, and end portions 4the sides of which are parallel. The member 2 has at its end a head 5 ofsphericalv curvature. Bearing-boxes 6 are arranged to slide in theportionsfl of the transverseslot, the sides of such portions serving asguides for said boxes; anda pivotpin 7, passing through said boxes and'through the spherically-curved head 5, connects said member 2 and saidbearing-boxes. These boxes 6 and the pivot-pin 7 connecting them to eachother and to the member 2, in effect form an intermediate member of thejoint; although in practice pin 7 is commonly secured to the member 2rigidly (as for example by said head being shrunk on to said pin) nophysical rigid connection of the two caring boxes 6 bemg required, assaid boxes are closely confined in their `1nove ment by the guides inwhich they move, the sides of the bushing 8 hereinafter `mentioned, andthe casing 9 also hereinafter mentioned.

Between the sphericalIy-curved head 5 o member 2 and the central portionof the slot in member 1 I interpose a bushing or bearingbox 8 (in theconstruction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3) the exterior of this bushnfitting the cylindrically-curved bore of mem `er 1 to slide lonitudinally therein, the interior of said bus ing sphericall -curved toreceive head 5. As shown, the ushing is formed in a plurality ofseparable parts, to permit the introduction of the head 5 therein.Likewise, the apertures 10 in the sides of said bushing through whichthe pivot-pin 7 projectsare elongated in the plane of movement of saidbushing, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to permit lateraloscillation of memend piece 11 .by a spring 13.

ber 2 in said bushing. The outer surfacesof bearing-boxes 6 and theprojecting ends of pin 7 are also spherically curved.

To retain oiljwithin the joint and prevent the entrance of dirt and thelike, I provide member 1 of the oint with a casing 9, fitting thereoverand closing the transverse slot in said member at the sides. This casingis preferably cylindrical, and is providedatthe end with a cap orend-inclosure 12 for said casing, the said cap being pressed up againstIn the construction shown the end-piece 1 1 andthe said cap 12 are'bothspherically curved, though this is not necessary. I further providepacking material 14 between said cap and end piece, and between the neckof the cap and member2.

It will be apparent that by the construction described, motion of member2 in any direction with reference to member 1 is permitted, said memberoscillating about the axis of pivot-pin 7, or said pivot-pin and boxes 6oscillating about an axis at right angles to said pivot-pin, or both;and that member 2 may move in or out, through a considerable range, withreference to member 1, the bushing 8 sliding in member 1 to -permitthis; and that throughout such movements of the member 2 the end-cap 12contacts with end-piece 11 and keeps the joint closed. j

In the oint described in my said prior application No. 334,222, thejoint-membercorresponding to member 2 of this joint has nospherically-curved head, and the casing of t e joint is employed `toprevent lateral movement of the pivot-pin and bearing boxes in theslotted member of the joint. In the joint just illustrated anddescribed, how# ever, the -pressure of the spherically-curved head 5against bushing 8, and the corresponding pressure of said bushingagainst the bore of the joint member 1, accomplishes the same purpose.There being surface-contact between 5 and 8, and between 8 and 1, thejoint is able to transmit safely loads that would cause squeezing-out ofthe lubricant between the pressure pieces, if -there were onlyline-contact, and so would cause cutting of the wearing-surfaces.

The jaw-memberl of the joint, 1, is -well calculated to withstand severepressure due to transmission of heavy loads with members 1 vand 2 at aconsiderable angle. To stifen it I commonly provide it with the anges orwebs 15, which at the same time serve to support the casing 9. But whenthe pressures to be transmitted are not so great asto makesurface-contact between the coacting parts necessary or advisable, I maydispense with the bushing 8, causing the spherical head 5 of member 2 tobear directly against the sides of the cylindrical bore of mem er 1.This is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. In this latter case, itissubstantially necessary that those portions of the bore of member 1against which thejhead 5 may bear in the action of the oint shall be ofcylindrical curvature, provided member 2 is to move in and out withreference to member 1 but in the form of joint shown in Figs. 1, 2 and3, the cylindrical cross-section of the bore of member 1 and thecylindrical exterior `of bushing 8 are merely desirable for conveniencein construction, any other` form permitting said bushing to move in andout of the bore of member 1 as a guide being permissible.

so j

pin 7 sliding and pivoting on guides of member 1.

VThe interior of the joint is commonly oc cupied to greater or lessextent by lubricant; to introduce which, I provide a duct 16, normallyclosed by a plug 17 .l To permit free circulation of the lubricantwithin the joint I provide head 5 with ducts 18.

What I claim is v1. A universal joint structure comprising driving anddriven members, one of said members provided with a spherically-curvedhead anda projecting ivot-pin, the other of said members provided withstraight guides for said head and pivot-pin adapted to permitlongitudinal motion of said head and pin and dfor resisting pressurefrom said spherical hea 2. A universal joint structure comprisingdriving4 and driven members, one of said members provided with aspherically-curved head and with a rojecting pivot-pin, and slidablemembers t ereon, the other of said members provided with straight guidesfor said head and slidable members adapted to permit longitudinal motionof saidv members, pivot-pin and head, and for resisting pressure fromsaid spherical head.

3. A universal joint structure comprising driving and driven members,one of said members provided with a spherically-curved head and with aprojecting ivot-pin, the other of said members provide with straightguides for said head and pivot-pin adapted to permit longitudinal motionof said head and pin and with spherically-recessed 'bushlng embracingsaid spherical head.

4. A universal joint structure comprising driving vand driven members,one of said members provided with a spherically curved. head and with aprojectin (pivot-pin, the other of said members prov-i e with straightguides -for said head and pivot-pin ada ted to ermit longitudinal motionof said ead and) pin and with a spherically-recessed bushembracing saidspherical head and slida e within said second member of the joint. j

5. A universal joint structure comprisin driving and drlven members, oneof sal ivotstrai ht guides for said pivot-pin and the mem er carryingsaid pin, adapted to permit longitudinal motion of said pin-carryingmember and'pin, the head of said pin-carrying member and surfaces ofsaid guidecarrying member correspondingly curved to ermit universalmovement of the one memer with respect to the other.

6. A universal joint structure comprising driving and driven members,one of said members providedA with a projecting ivot-y pin, the other ofsaid members provide( with stra' ht guides for said pivot-pin and themem er carrying said pin, adapted to permit longitudinal motion of saidin-carrying member and pin, said pin-carrying member and saidguide-carrying member having,

the 011e a head and the other a bushing embracing said head, the twohaving correspondingly-curved surfaces in surface contact With eachother permitting -universal movement of the one member with respect tothe other.

7. An incased universal joint structure comprising driving and drivenmembers, one of said members rovided with a projecting pivot-pin, the oter`\of"said members provided with straight guides for said pin-carryingmember and pivot-pin, open at the sides and adapted to ermitlongitudinal mot-ion of said in and t e member carrying it, one of saimembers having a curved head and the other corres ondingly-curvedsurfaces adapted to resist ateral movement of one member vvithin theother and to ermit universal movement of the mem ers with respect toeach other, and a casing closing said guides at the sides.

8. An incased universal joint structure comprising driving and drivenmembers, having aT-head in slot connection, and adapte-d for relativelongitudinal movement as Well as universal movement, an aperturedend-piece of approximately spherical curvature fitting on one of saidmembers, a closure therefor on the other of said members, and means forpressing the one against the other.

9. A universal joint structure comprising driving and driven members,one having a curved bearing-head and ivot-pins adapting it for universalconnectlon with the other member, the other member having guidingbearing surfaces permitting longitudinal movement of the membersrelatively.

10. A universal joint structure comprising driving and driven members,one having a curved bearing-head and ivot-pins ada ting it for universalconnection with the ot 1er member, the other member having guidingbearing surfaces permitting longitudinal movement of the membersrelatively, andl means closing the joint, said head having in itlongitudinal ducts. f

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

CLARENCE W. SPICER.

